Japan is an exporting country. Sony. Toyota. Honda. Panasonic. Sushi and Sumo. To be fair, sumo wrestling is not doing as well as sushi on Japan’s popular export list.
California and Hawaii are popular locations for authentic Japanese sushi. Also popular in the US, and particularly in Hawaii, is a style of sushi which fits into the Pacific fusion cuisine variety, the California roll.
This roll is unlike any typical Japanese sushi, though it’s a maki-zushi (a roll), but is made inside out– with cucumber, avacado, and imitation crab stick. The California roll is often made with a flair and style representative of the sushi chef or the restaurant, hence the wide variety of sushi rolls.
Friday is Review Day, so HawaiiBlogger offers up a restaurant made for locals, open for everyone.
Honolulu has plenty of sushi restaurants, both authentic and local. California Beach Rock’ N Sushi remains in HawaiiBlogger’s list of Top 5 Favorite Local Restaurants in Honolulu. CBRN provides diners with a California experience that’s purely local (and should not be confused with similarly named locations elsewhere in the contiguous lower 48).
What’s special? California Beach remains in the same ramshackle red building on Ward Avenue, next to Dixie Grill (not on our favorites list). Many of the sushi chefs and staff have worked at CBRN since the restaurant opened the doors.
Inside is a scruffy little place filled with plenty of four-person tables to the right, a long L-shaped sushi bar to the left, and the kitchen in the back. CBRN is a perfect example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.
The wait staff is friendly, pleasant, young, female, but not of Hooter’s caliber. You’re there to eat and be served, not to pay extra for eye candy in pantyhose. The sushi chefs are busy but will carry on a brief conversation. They’re local. Parking is typical Honolulu– painful, but available. Restrooms are in the back, up a flight or two of stairs, and to the right. Please wash your hands. The cooks in the kitchen are the unsung heroes of any restaurant with a high rate of return customers. Locals come back regularly to CBRN.
Ambiance inside the restaurant is, well, it’s relaxed with a bit of noise that’s not distracting but more than intimate. The menu is loaded with local sushi specialties done up the CBRN way– crunchy crab roll, unagi roll, firecracker, ebi, tamago, and more. The favorite on my list? A blackened ahi laid over specially prepared buttered sweet onions from Maui.
Also tops on the list is the Early Bird Special, a large platter served daily from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM. A platter of what? Salmon, sushi, California roll, salad, tempura. The plate is freakin’ huge with enough food for two to share so long as one of you doesn’t want to gain wait.
Yes, there’s beer and sake, mostly Japanese varieties, and a few I’ve never heard of and won’t bother to try. You’re on your own.
Add it up. There’s no single compelling reason to visit California Beach Rock ‘N Sushi. Again, back to the “whole is greater than the sum of the parts” consideration. Prices are quite modest, even by Honolulu standards. Ambiance is pleasant and doesn’t get in the way. Ditto for the staff. The sushi is tasty and filling. CBRN is convenient despite the parking issue. And the place is busy, a testament to what Honolulu locals prefer.
Japan gave the world sushi (and Sony, and Toyota, etc.). California Beach gives Honolulu affordable sushi in an eclectic style, with flare, but without gimicks, without expensive trappings, and without the expense.
HawaiiBlogger's Comment Policy: Keep your comment on topic, relevant, worthy, and funny. Or, pick any three. Be pleasant, helpful, and only use your real name. Comments are moderated and will not appear immediately (* required).